In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank. One fireman died while 14 others had a narrow escape when a part of the factory-cum-outlet of a well-known battery (1)______ firm where they were battling a major (2)______ collapsed following a series of sudden explosions in west Delhi. The brave fireman who had joined the department last year and got married (3)______, was buried under a pile of debris following explosions which were (4)______ by a compressor burst. The fireman died due to (5)______ bleeding and smoke inhalation. It took firemen five hours to pull his body out of the debris.
Select the most appropriate option for blank number 1.
manufacturing
Understanding Word Choice in Fill-in-the-Blanks: Blank 1
The question asks us to select the most appropriate word to fill in blank number 1 in the given passage. Let's look at the sentence containing the blank:
"One fireman died while 14 others had a narrow escape when a part of the factory-cum-outlet of a well-known battery (1)______ firm where they were battling a major..."
The phrase we need to complete is "a well-known battery (1)______ firm". We need a word that describes the type of firm, specifically what kind of batteries are associated with it or what the firm does with batteries.
Analyzing the Options for Blank 1
Let's examine each option provided for blank number 1:
- Option 1: manufactures - "Manufactures" is typically used as a verb in the present tense (e.g., "The company manufactures batteries") or as a plural noun meaning types of products. It does not fit grammatically here as an adjective describing the firm.
- Option 2: manufacturing - "Manufacturing" is the present participle form of the verb 'manufacture'. It can be used as a gerund (a noun form) or as an adjective. In the phrase "battery manufacturing firm", "manufacturing" functions as an adjective (a present participle used attributively) describing the firm based on its primary activity – the manufacturing of batteries. This construction is grammatically correct and makes perfect sense in the context of describing a company's business.
- Option 3: manufactured - "Manufactured" is the past participle form of the verb 'manufacture'. It is typically used to indicate something that has been made (e.g., "These are manufactured batteries"). "Battery manufactured firm" would imply that the firm itself is being manufactured, which is incorrect and doesn't fit the meaning of the sentence.
- Option 4: manufacturable - "Manufacturable" is an adjective meaning capable of being manufactured. "Battery manufacturable firm" would mean a firm that is capable of being manufactured into batteries, which is nonsensical in this context.
Determining the Most Appropriate Word
Based on the analysis, the word that correctly describes a firm that makes batteries is "manufacturing". The phrase "battery manufacturing firm" is a standard way to describe a company involved in the production of batteries.
Conclusion for Blank 1
The most appropriate option for blank number 1 is "manufacturing". The completed phrase "a well-known battery manufacturing firm" correctly identifies the type of business involved in the incident.
Revision Table: Understanding Word Forms
| Word Form | Typical Use | Example | Fit for Blank 1? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufactures (verb) | Action (present tense) | The factory manufactures cars. | No (Needs an adjective/descriptor) |
| Manufacturing (participle/gerund) | Adjective describing activity, or noun (gerund) | A manufacturing plant; Battery manufacturing is complex. | Yes (As an adjective describing the firm type) |
| Manufactured (participle) | Adjective describing something made, or part of passive voice | Manufactured goods; The product was manufactured here. | No (Doesn't describe the firm's activity) |
| Manufacturable (adjective) | Describes ability to be made | This design is manufacturable. | No (Doesn't describe the firm type) |
Additional Information: Participles as Adjectives
Participles (both present - ending in -ing, and past - often ending in -ed or -en) can function as adjectives. This is common in English to describe nouns.
- Present Participles (-ing) as Adjectives: These often describe the noun that performs the action or the action itself as a characteristic of the noun. For example: a running man (the man is running), a sleeping baby (the baby is sleeping), a manufacturing firm (the firm manufactures).
- Past Participles (-ed/-en) as Adjectives: These often describe the noun that receives the action. For example: a broken chair (the chair was broken), a tired worker (the worker is tired), manufactured goods (the goods were manufactured).
In the context of "battery ______ firm", we need a word that describes the firm's *activity* related to batteries, which is manufacturing them. The present participle "manufacturing" serves this purpose effectively as an adjective.
Important Questions from Cloze Test
What would come in blank space (1)?
What would come in blank space (2)?
What would come in blank space (3)?
What would come in blank space (4)?
What would come in blank space (5)?
